Two defendants were sentenced today to substantial prison time for their participation in a large-scale ‘grandparent scam’ network.
According to court documents, Timothy Ingram, 30, of North Hollywood, California, and Joaquin Lopez, 46, of Hollywood, Florida, were part of a network of individuals who, through extortion and fraud, induced elderly Americans across the United States to pay up to tens of thousands of dollars each to purportedly help their grandchild or other loved one.
In spring 2022, Ingram and Lopez each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act. Today, the court sentenced Ingram to 108 months in prison and Lopez to 24 months in prison.
Members of the network contacted elderly Americans by telephone and impersonated a grandchild, other close relative or friend of the victim. They falsely convinced the victims that their relatives or friends were in legal trouble and needed money to pay for bail, for medical expenses for car accident victims, or to prevent additional charges from being filed.
The defendants and their co-conspirators then received money from victims via various means, including in-person pickup, the mail, and wire transfer, and then laundered the proceeds, including through the use of cryptocurrency. Ingram, personally and through others, directed a network of money mules in California. Ingram personally picked up cash from victims and recruited others to participate in the scheme.
Lopez also received wire transfers from numerous victims and funneled victim proceeds for co-defendant Tracy Knowles, who remains at large.
Related Federal Cases
- Timothy G. Fisher, Money Laundering, California 2024 · California
- Timothy New, Synthetic Drug Trafficking, California 2016 · California
- Jarrod M. Langford, Credit Card Fraud Conspiracy, California 2024 · California
- Marco Antonio Ramirez Zuno, Wire Fraud Conspiracy, California 2012 · Oklahoma
- Timothy Chapin, Energy Firm Fraud, California 2023 · California
Key Facts
- State: California
- Category: White Collar Crime|Organized Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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